(by Geoff Brown)

It’s working. Simply stated, it’s working. No debate about it. 

And, as a result, school choice can no longer be a right vs. left, conservative vs. liberal, Republican vs. Democrat issue.

It is a fundamentally true, clearly demonstrable, non-partisan reality. In the short time since signed into law, school choice, as realized within our state in the form of ESA’s and STO’s, is literally saving Arizona education. And, in “saving Arizona education”, I am meaning that school choice is saving both the quality of education in our state and, albeit unbelievable, while Arizona academics are being pulled from the precipice upon which they have perpetually perched our progeny, we are also saving the state money.

Cheaper and better? Yes. That is the promise of American enterprise and a free-market economy–the roots from which the fruits of school choice grow. In 2022/2023 (the first year of the Universal ESA), the state of Arizona posted a $2 billion surplus—even after accounting for the enrollment surge that occurred in the ESA program. This past year, with the CPI surging, while Arizona generally had a deficit, the education line in the state budget still enjoyed a surplus.

At the same time, public school budgets are at record highs with per student funding increases that rival any in our history, teacher salaries that have enjoyed the largest single increase ever (and that are still rising), and statewide standardized test scores that are finally rebounding. In 2023, Arizona’s median SAT score increased by 2.1%, which was the third largest increase in the country. The median score in Arizona was 155 points higher than the national median. In the critical benchmark years of 4th and 8th grades, Arizona is now at the national average for math and reading. 

How and why? Well, the answers can be found on my lawn.

This weekend, I will fertilize my lawn and prep it for growing season.  In doing so, I will drive to Happy Valley and Lake Pleasant where, on opposing corners, there awaits both a Home Depot and a Lowe’s, each with their own brands of fertilizer and their own respective prices. In choosing between the two and asking the questions “Which is better?” and “Which is cheaper?”, I will be asking the fundamental questions which drive the foundational market forces upon which our economy is built. As an American consumer, I will be driving the quality of fertilizer up and the price of fertilizer down.

Hopefully avoiding the too-obvious (and, unintended!) comparison between the quality of Arizona education and fertilizer, the same is true of schools. Removing education from the domain of monopoly and providing parents with the means to make choices allows public schools, charter schools, private schools, and home schools to all compete for the same students. As parents freely and independently select the type of school best for their unique child, we are driving education–quality and prices–in a healthy direction. 

Remember, public and charter schools are not free. The savings to the state funding (your taxes) derives from the fact that the average ESA is $7,000.  That is nearly $4,000/student less than the $10,900 per pupil average paid for Arizona public and charter students.

Of course, school choice has its critics.  Next time you encounter one, simply show them the numbers.  Let them do the math.  There is no debating it.  Simply stated, it is working.

Geoff Brown is the Superintendent of Northwest Christian School located in Phoenix, AZ. Northwest Christian School is one of the largest private Christian schools in the state of Arizona and the only ACSI Exemplary Accredited school in the state.

This post is sponsored by NCS Online. NCS Online is a fully online K-11th grade Christian school providing an online education that is rigorous, affordable, and rooted in Biblical worldview. To learn more about NCS Online, visit NCSonline.org.